Action Comics #1103

In the present, Lex thinks about all the roles he has played throughout his life, from businessman to scientist. After a short period of amnesia, Lex decides to compile everything he remembers about his life into a single digital record. Lex's story begins with his father, Lionel. Formerly a brilliant scientist, Lionel run afoul of Vandal Savage, who destroyed Lionel's reputation and confined him to a terrible job at an assembly line in Shelby, Kansas. Broken from his experiences, Lionel turned to alcohol and became a domestic abuser. He even became jealous of Lex, who had become a prodigy at an early age. Whenever Lex showed his talent at something, Lionel was quick to inflict violence upon him. Only Lex's mother, Leticia, appreciated Lex for who he was. She even taught him to play piano to impress a few people she had invited for dinner. The dinner party happened at a night where Lionel had gone out to drink. Lex quickly displayed his abilities, but instead of being impressed, the people of Shelby were intimidated, some of them were even disturbed. As the guests left the Luthor household, Leticia broke down in tears and Lex did his best to comfort her.